Say it as it is, doc

Doctors may be forced by UAE law to prescribe medicine by their scientific names as opposed to their brand names, said the Minister of Health Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Quttami to Khaleej Times. According to the article, this will allow patients to know what they’re being prescribed.

Furthermore, the ministry wants to tackle the commercial influence on the media sector.

“The Ministry of Health is studying the possibility of cooperation with health insurance companies, regarding granting a larger area of freedom to doctors and pharmacists to choose the appropriate medicine by allowing doctors to write the scientific name of the drug instead of the trading name,” Al Quttami said to the newspaper.

“But the matter needs further consultation with the companies for working together for the public interest.”

It’s a necessary step, but Kipp has read enough articles and seen enough movies to know that drug companies are a vicious lot, and getting them to keep their grubby fingers out of hospitals’ and clinics’ businesses will prove very difficult.